法苑珠林 57.43

57.43

In the first year of the Longshuo reign era of the Tang (661 CE), a man of Huai Prefecture went to the market in Lu Prefecture to buy pigs to sell back in Huai Prefecture. There was a castrated pig which he bought in Lu Prefecture for three hundred cash. Bringing it to Huai Prefecture, he sold it to a slaughterhouse for six hundred cash. In the winter of that year, in the eleventh month, there was a man of Lu Prefecture surnamed Li whose courtesy name is not known; serving as a Commandant (jiaowei), he arrived in Huai Prefecture on his rotation of duty. Because he went toward the market intending to buy meat to eat, he saw this castrated pig already bound by its four legs in front of the shop, about to be slaughtered. Seeing this Commandant, [the pig] spoke, saying: "You are my grandson! I am your maternal grandmother. Originally, because your family was poor, your mother repeatedly asked me for provisions. Because her repeated requests could not be fully met, my eldest son would not permit it. Pitying you, mother and son, I secretly bypassed my son and gave [her] five dou of rice. Now I have become a pig to repay that debt of theft! Why do you not rescue me?" Hearing this, the Commandant sought to redeem the pig from the slaughterer. The slaughterer at first did not believe it, as the other people could not understand this pig's speech; only the Commandant could understand it. The slaughterer said: "If it is truly your grandmother, I will untie and release it. Ask it to speak again facing me." After the slaughterer untied and released it, the Commandant again asked the pig, speaking: "I am presently on duty for a month and cannot yet take Grandmother back home. I do not know where to settle Grandmother." The pig then said to the Commandant: "Separated by a lifetime, I now undergo this wretched form. Even when you are off duty, you still need not take me back. Your mother is still living, and you are also a Commandant. If our kinfolk in our hometown see me in this form, they will certainly not be pleased; I fear it will disgrace your household. I have heard that a certain monastery keeps pigs and sheep spared from slaughter to live out their natural lives; settle me in this monastery." The Commandant further said to the pig: "If Grandmother is truly an anomaly of proof, go toward the monastery on your own ahead of us." Hearing these words, the pig immediately ran toward the monastery. The monastery monks at first were unwilling to accept it. The Commandant recounted this numinous proof in full to the monastery monks. Hearing it, all the monks of the monastery felt shame and pity, and built a shed in a secluded spot to settle it. The Commandant also left a small felt mat for it to sleep on. The monks, Daoists, and laity of the monastery competed to offer food and drink. After a long time, the monastery monks could all understand the pig's speech. When the Commandant went off duty, he took his leave, headed to his home prefecture, and reported this matter to his mother. The mother later came in person to see the pig; when mother and son met, they wept together. Down to the first year of the Linde reign era (664 CE), [the pig] was still heard to be safe and sound. (Liang Nandi, a Director in the Household of the Crown Prince and native of Bing Prefecture, who was transferred to the post of Assault-Defending Commander of the outer city of Huai Prefecture, witnessed and recounted it in full.)